


From The Eyes Of Another

by EmerialynCodeVenice



Series: Hua Mulan: Source Of All Honghui's Woes [1]
Category: Mulan (2020), Mulan - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, During Canon, F/M, Honghui Coming To Both The RIGHT And WRONG Conclusions, Honghui POV Of Mulan AKA Hua Jun During Training, Mulan In Disguise As Hua Jun, Period-Typical Sexism, Pre-Relationship, This Boy Is OBLIVIOUS To His Own Crush LOL, spoilers beware
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26297368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmerialynCodeVenice/pseuds/EmerialynCodeVenice
Summary: Even after months of training together, Chen Honghui still wasn't sure what to make of Hua Jun.Yet, even as Hua Jun moved away every time Honghui tried to get close, he had no intention to stop trying to reach him.
Relationships: Mulan/Honghui, Pre Hua Mulan/Chen Honghui
Series: Hua Mulan: Source Of All Honghui's Woes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910722
Comments: 45
Kudos: 464





	From The Eyes Of Another

**Author's Note:**

> I just got to say... the Mulan adaptation was AMAZING!!!! 
> 
> Seriously!!! I was so wary given that most of the other Disney remakes have been, well, less than awe-worthy, but this one takes the cake! I'm just so impressed and, for once, think the live-action was actually better than the animation in certain scenes. 
> 
> I won't spoil all the details now since it's still the early days, but go watch it if you can! Though, if you read this, there will obviously be spoilers. 
> 
> Also, Honghui and Mulan's relationship is just the best. I need fics of them NOW!!!
> 
> Until then, please enjoy my own take!

Hua Jun was a conundrum.

When they first met, the prevalent emotion Chen Honghui felt was resentment. With that armor and polished sword, it was clear that the other soldier-to-be in front of him was from a well-off family. Honghui came from a family of six who couldn't even afford to rent a horse to carry him the many miles to the training grounds, nonetheless what that, even worn, armor had costed.

Honghui didn't have a problem with this, especially when it was clear that countless other men were in the same position as him in how they only had the shirt on their backs and conscription letters in hand when they arrived to the training grounds.

However, his resentment only became worse when Hua Jun was knocked over by some men fooling around in front of them. Honghui must have struck a nerve by calling him "little man," but Hua Jun's reaction of pulling out his sword and threatening him was completely undeserved.

 _'Definitely a pampered brat_ ,' thought Honghui as he stared down the blade at his throat. He wondered if the boy could even use it properly.

Of course, there was no other response to Hua Jun's threat than to take out his own sword. Even rusted and bought with what little funds his parents could spare, Honghui was sure he felt more pride holding it than the little boy in front of him ever could.

He did regret that their fight immediately brought them to Commander Tung's attention. For a few terrifying seconds, Honghui had certain that he would be kicked out and that he had brought dishonor to his family, but they were thankfully let off with a warning. It irritated him more than words could say when Hua Jun didn't immediately answer the commander, but it only strengthened Honghui's certainty that he was a spoiled brat.

However, given the way that Commander Tung had looked at Hua Jun's sword and asked for _his_ family name without giving Honghui a second glance... it was clear who the commander's preference had been. Honghui hadn't heard of the name _Hua Zhou,_ but it must've been someone important for Commander Tung to react like he did.

In all honesty, Honghui had expected that animosity to continue between them during training, maybe even for Hua Jun to start emphasizing his highborn heritage when the commander wasn't around and harass the other recruits, but, to his surprise, Hua Jun was more... reserved than anything.

In the beginning, Hua Jun avoided everyone, but it felt more like he didn't know how to interact with the other men than any type of feeling of superiority. Slowly and surely, Hua Jun began to spend more time with the others even if there was still this kind of distance he gave off.

As time went on, Hua Jun proved himself to actually be rather _admirable?_

During training, Hua Jun was never the first to quit and, quite often, was the last to leave. He never tried to bend the rules and even offered pointers or support to others who were struggling like Cricket had with his archery. In the barracks, when they were all giving Ling a hard time about him mooning over the picture of his bride-to-be, it was Hua Jun who stopped their antics and returned Ling's picture without a word.

It'd had been one thing if Hua Jun had only done these things once or twice, or had been looking for some sort of reward, but he kept on doing it. And Hua Jun kept on doing it without so much as requesting an admittedly deserved _thank you._

Slowly, Honghui began to wonder if he had been wrong about Hua Jun. If, perhaps, it had just been nerves instead of arrogance that caused him to react the way he did when they first entered the training grounds. Honghui had certainly seen worse reactions _–like Cricket crying over every little thing and Yao's crude bullying–_ to adjusting to their new life. 

Still, there was no denying that Hua Jun was also just... _weird._

For one, there was Hua Jun's _aversion_ to showering.

It couldn't just be that Hua Jun wanted to prove himself by volunteering _every night_ for guard duty because he didn't rush to offer himself to help in every other way. Well, he did, but in far more subtle ways that were more... kind, as he had mentioned before, than overachieving.

Not that Hua Jun wasn't an overachiever. There were countless nights Honghui, half-asleep, saw Hua Jun sneak out to train on his own. He thought about going with him one of those times, but, unlike Hua Jun, actually valued his sleep.

Then, there was the conversation about their ideal woman.

Of course, it had been Ling who brought up the topic as he, yet again, began to heap praise and poetry upon his bride-to-be, Li Li. And then Yao had to butt in, and then even Cricket made a comment, and then they were all involved one way or another.

Most of the men's answers had been pretty typical, but when Honghui had asked Hua Jun... he had been as shocked as everyone else at the table with Hua Jun's desire to marry a _courageous_ woman.

One with a sense of humor... and even _smart_.

Honghui had been unsurprised to hear his companions erupt in laughter with Hua Jun's words, the jeering only getting louder with every unbelievable word the man spoke. And then to say that he didn't care what the woman looked like? Honghui had never heard anything like it.

Honghui had managed to turn the conversation away from Hua Jun and into mocking Yao, but he could tell that Hua Jun was legitimately bothered by their casual dismissal. 

However, it seemed that Honghui had only made things worse when he asked Hua Jun, later when they were in the tents alone, whether or not he had been matched. Honghui still believed that Hua Jun had to be descended from a higher class heritage, so he hadn't been surprised to hear that Hua Jun had been matched... even if it had been lost for whatever reason in the end.

At his age, Honghui should've been matched already, but his family was so poor and looked down upon that there was no woman who was willing to give him a second glance. Not that it mattered. Honghui didn't know the first thing about how to talk to a woman or even how to handle such a relationship if it did happen.

He didn't even have his parents as a good example given how miserable they made one another. They tried to hide it from him and the rest of their children, but it was clear that they'd married each other because they _had_ to and not because of any true romantic connection between them. If that was the kind of thing that awaited Honghui, he wasn't interested.

Still, Honghui had chuckled when Hua Jun's advice was to " _T_ _alk to her like he talked to Hua Jun_."

Like that would ever be possible!

By now, Honghui's opinion of Hua Jun had done a complete 180-degree turn since their first meeting. Hua Jun wasn't just his brother-in-arms, but the one that Honghui felt closest to of all the men there. He was _certain_ that there could be a strong friendship between them if Hua Jun would get past whatever it was that kept him distant from him and the others.

Yet, even with Hua Jun's avoidant nature, Honghui doubted he could have such a natural bond with a woman he would meet through one arrangement or another. He certainly would never be able to talk as freely as he could with Hua Jun, that's for sure. 

But then?

The strange... comfort that Honghui had felt when Hua Jun assured him that his future bride would like him?

Yeah, he doubted that some stranger could make him feel that either.

 _'Courageous, funny, smart...'_ thought Honghui as he teased Hua Jun about how he smelled in order to avoid showing how much the other man's words meant to him. _'That sounds too perfect to be true.'_

It really came to a crux when Honghui had purposely egged Hua Jun on during their next training session. He _knew_ that Hua Jun was holding back _–for what reason, he had no clue, but knew it had to be related to why Hua Jun acted the way he did–_ and just wanted the other man to _let go_ for once. To not be so concerned with how others saw him and show Honghui what he was _truly_ feeling.

(It was also pretty funny to see how angry Hua Jun got when he was teasing him. It was beyond satisfying.)

However, Honghui had no way to expect what happened _next_.

It was like something in Hua Jun just _changed_. Instead of being unable to keep up with Honghui and losing his spear every other second, he was suddenly ten times more skilled.

Faster. 

_Stronger._

Honghui thought that he'd gotten the upper hand when Hua Jun lost his weapon, but he turned out to be dead wrong... and nearly _dead_ as Hua Jun flipped in the air and sent the spear _flying_ at him. If Honghui hadn't been fast enough to react, he'd have been impaled then and there.

Strangely, he hadn't been the least bit upset about it. Instead, a strange mixture of awe and _pride_ welled up in Honghui, ecstatic that he had finally gotten his friend to come out of his shell and show his true power. There was definitely no reason to hide his skills like this! 

But, it seemed that Honghui was the only one to feel that way, because there was nothing resembling pride on Hua Jun's face. Far from it, in fact. He stared at Honghui as if he'd seen a spirit, or he had just committed some kind of unforgivable sin against him.

Instead of reveling in the claps and joy of his fellow soldiers, Hua Jun had turned away from Honghui and left, leaving Honghui with the feeling that _he_ was the one who had done something unforgivable. He hadn't followed the others when they, clearly oblivious to the other man's feelings, went to congratulate Hua Jun. He had been too confused and maybe even a bit ashamed to face the other.

Later that evening, Honghui had been unsurprised to hear that Hua Jun was the topic of everyone's conversation as he walked through the camps, debating on how to approach his friend.

It was during that time that he overheard some men who were supposedly also from Hua Jun's village. It'd been a bit underhanded, but Honghui had stayed in the shadows to listen to them, wondering if he could gain some sort of insight that those who'd grown up with Hua Jun would have.

However, Honghui was only left with more questions.

Apparently, the other men from Hua Jun's village _weren't_ familiar with Hua Jun himself. In fact, they were talking about how Hua Zhou didn't have a son–or, at least, a _lawful_ one. It was clear that these men weren't fans of the Hua Family by the way they jeered at Hua Zhou for acting like he was so honorable when it was clear that he had this bastard hidden away somewhere.

Not that they could blame him, the men had added, given that the matriarch of the Hua Family had failed to produce a male heir. And, not only that, but that the eldest daughter was especially a disgrace to the family with the second daughter nothing to look at either.

The more he listened, the more Honghui's anger grew. He was glad that Hua Jun was on guard duty because he didn't know how the other man would react to his family being mocked like this... or, rather, the lawful family of his father?

It was no secret that the bastards of mistresses were never treated well. And if Hua Zhou had never truly recognized Hua Jun as his son and even hid him away in embarassment... Honghui could understand, maybe, why Hua Jun acted the way he did. The way he was so impassioned and eager to prove himself, yet somehow ashamed and skittish from others with some kind of resentment burning underneath it all.

 _'Is that why Hua Jun acted the way he did when his gift was discovered?'_ thought Honghui, bothered by the idea. 

Generally, having such a powerful gift like that should result in nothing but praise as it marked him to be destined to become a warrior unlike any other. But, if Hua Jun's chi had been discovered and he had still been rejected...

Honghui didn't want to complete the thought. He, himself, had endured rejection and prejudice because of his family's social status his entire life. To think that his closest friend, someone that he had mistaken for as conceited and uncaring, had to go through that as well...

It was the way of the world, but it didn't mean that Honghui had to like it.

Mind made up, Honghui left the men to their jealous mockery, intent on finding Hua Jun. He wasn't sure what he would say to Hua Jun, but he knew he needed to talk to him.

Hopefully, Honghui would finally be able to figure out the puzzle that was Hua Jun.

And, more importantly... earn his friendship.

Because Hua Jun was someone worth fighting for.

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist that callback to the original at the end, lol.
> 
> I thought about writing Honghui's thoughts for the entire movie, but decided this was a good stopping place since things change after this. I might write a sequel if people are interested and my own inspiration continues to flow. 
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me you think!


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